Palm Coast, FL -
Update: The 17-year-old boy who was arrested for armed robbery of the Palm Coast Circle K on October 2 will be tried as an adult. He was taken into custody Monday night and is being held in the Flagler County Detention Facility on $35,000 bond.
Earlier Reporting:
A 17-year-old was arrested Monday night for armed robbery of a Palm Coast Circle K and firing a gunshot into the store's video surveillance monitor.
The robbery took place at about 11:55 PM at the Circle K located at 191 Cypress Point Pkway. A 17-year-old boy with a backpack walked into the store, pointed a gun at the clerk, and demanded all the money in the cash register, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO).
The boy forced the clerk to show him where the store's video security camera footage was located, and the clerk complied, leading the boy to the back office. The boy then fired one round into the security video monitor, says FCSO. The juvenile even took the clerk's cell phone and the store phone before he left the store, so the clerk was temporarily unable to call for help.
Afterwards, a "Be On The Lookout" (BOLO) was issued in an attempt to find the boy. Shortly after, a deputy who was working special detail in Seminole Woods saw a vehicle in a cul-de-sac with lights off. The street had no houses, according to FCSO, so an investigative stop was conducted.
During the stop, the passenger of the vehicle was found to match the description of the suspect; he was positively identified as the boy who robbed the Circle K. He even had the backpack matching the description of the backpack from the robbery. Inside the backpack, deputies found what they believe to be the same gun used in the robbery.
The boy was taken to the Flagler County Detention Facility and then released to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). He is charged with armed robbery, discharging a firearm in public, possession of a firearm by a minor, carrying a concealed weapon, petit theft, grand theft over $300, giving a false name while detained, and criminal mischief resulting in over $200 in damages.
“I’ve tasked our team with finding ways to reduce crime, and as a result of that, our intelligence unit identified a trend which allowed us to deploy special resources last night,” explains Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “Ultimately, that is what caught this suspect. I’m proud of our team for taking a proactive approach to crime and catching this violent offender in just over two hours. Now that we have done our job, I hope that DJJ will keep him in custody so he doesn’t hurt anyone the next time.”
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